Harrison served as a First Lieutenant and Bombardier on B-29 # 42-65348, 869th Bomber Squadron, 497th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Tazewell County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet on February 10, 1943 at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Manager and also as Married.
B-29 # 42-65348 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Osaka, Japan. Near the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which destroyed their #1 engine. They were last seen losing altitude and heading out to sea by other aircraft in the formation. They were not seen again by the other aircraft.
A later Japanese historian noted that after heading out to sea with their engine damaged they were attacked by Japanese Fighter Aircraft and shot down and crashed south of Osaka in the Nara Region of Japan. " 7 " members of the crew were killed in the crash and " 4 " crew members became POW's of the Japanese Army.
The " 4 " captured included 1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee, T/Sgt Hart, Sgt. Beecroft and S/Sgt Strong. All four were eventually "executed" by the Japanese Army.
1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee and T/Sgt Hart were executed immediately upon capture. S/Sgt Beecroft was executed on July 21, 1945 and S/Sgt Strong was executed on the last day of the war - August 15, 1945.
Harrison was "Executed" by the Japanese Army on the same day that his B-29 crashed during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-696002
He was originally interred in the Yokohama Cemetery #1 and was later repatriated here on March 18, 1949.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 # 42-65348:
Angell, Robert B. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Beck, George A., Jr. ~ S/Sgt, Left Gunner, IA
Beecroft, Lawrence W. ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, NJ ~ Executed
Crowe, Franklin W. ~ 1st Lt, Commander, MD
Hart, Alvin R. ~ T/Sgt, CEC, WA ~ Executed
Isley, William H. ~ Corp, Right Gunner, NC
Jorstad, Oswald J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, ND
Manning, John V. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, LA
Strong, Russell W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, CT ~ Executed
Wittee, Harrison K. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL ~ Executed
Young, Millard M. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
Harrison K. Witte changed the spelling his last name to Wittee, because he got tired of people miss pronouncing it.
He resided in Tazewell County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet on February 10, 1943 at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Manager and also as Married.
B-29 # 42-65348 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Osaka, Japan. Near the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which destroyed their #1 engine. They were last seen losing altitude and heading out to sea by other aircraft in the formation. They were not seen again by the other aircraft.
A later Japanese historian noted that after heading out to sea with their engine damaged they were attacked by Japanese Fighter Aircraft and shot down and crashed south of Osaka in the Nara Region of Japan. " 7 " members of the crew were killed in the crash and " 4 " crew members became POW's of the Japanese Army.
The " 4 " captured included 1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee, T/Sgt Hart, Sgt. Beecroft and S/Sgt Strong. All four were eventually "executed" by the Japanese Army.
1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee and T/Sgt Hart were executed immediately upon capture. S/Sgt Beecroft was executed on July 21, 1945 and S/Sgt Strong was executed on the last day of the war - August 15, 1945.
Harrison was "Executed" by the Japanese Army on the same day that his B-29 crashed during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-696002
He was originally interred in the Yokohama Cemetery #1 and was later repatriated here on March 18, 1949.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 # 42-65348:
Angell, Robert B. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Beck, George A., Jr. ~ S/Sgt, Left Gunner, IA
Beecroft, Lawrence W. ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, NJ ~ Executed
Crowe, Franklin W. ~ 1st Lt, Commander, MD
Hart, Alvin R. ~ T/Sgt, CEC, WA ~ Executed
Isley, William H. ~ Corp, Right Gunner, NC
Jorstad, Oswald J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, ND
Manning, John V. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, LA
Strong, Russell W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, CT ~ Executed
Wittee, Harrison K. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL ~ Executed
Young, Millard M. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
Harrison K. Witte changed the spelling his last name to Wittee, because he got tired of people miss pronouncing it.
Harrison served as a First Lieutenant and Bombardier on B-29 # 42-65348, 869th Bomber Squadron, 497th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Tazewell County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet on February 10, 1943 at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Manager and also as Married.
B-29 # 42-65348 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Osaka, Japan. Near the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which destroyed their #1 engine. They were last seen losing altitude and heading out to sea by other aircraft in the formation. They were not seen again by the other aircraft.
A later Japanese historian noted that after heading out to sea with their engine damaged they were attacked by Japanese Fighter Aircraft and shot down and crashed south of Osaka in the Nara Region of Japan. " 7 " members of the crew were killed in the crash and " 4 " crew members became POW's of the Japanese Army.
The " 4 " captured included 1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee, T/Sgt Hart, Sgt. Beecroft and S/Sgt Strong. All four were eventually "executed" by the Japanese Army.
1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee and T/Sgt Hart were executed immediately upon capture. S/Sgt Beecroft was executed on July 21, 1945 and S/Sgt Strong was executed on the last day of the war - August 15, 1945.
Harrison was "Executed" by the Japanese Army on the same day that his B-29 crashed during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-696002
He was originally interred in the Yokohama Cemetery #1 and was later repatriated here on March 18, 1949.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 # 42-65348:
Angell, Robert B. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Beck, George A., Jr. ~ S/Sgt, Left Gunner, IA
Beecroft, Lawrence W. ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, NJ ~ Executed
Crowe, Franklin W. ~ 1st Lt, Commander, MD
Hart, Alvin R. ~ T/Sgt, CEC, WA ~ Executed
Isley, William H. ~ Corp, Right Gunner, NC
Jorstad, Oswald J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, ND
Manning, John V. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, LA
Strong, Russell W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, CT ~ Executed
Wittee, Harrison K. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL ~ Executed
Young, Millard M. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
Harrison K. Witte changed the spelling his last name to Wittee, because he got tired of people miss pronouncing it.
He resided in Tazewell County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet on February 10, 1943 at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Manager and also as Married.
B-29 # 42-65348 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Osaka, Japan. Near the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which destroyed their #1 engine. They were last seen losing altitude and heading out to sea by other aircraft in the formation. They were not seen again by the other aircraft.
A later Japanese historian noted that after heading out to sea with their engine damaged they were attacked by Japanese Fighter Aircraft and shot down and crashed south of Osaka in the Nara Region of Japan. " 7 " members of the crew were killed in the crash and " 4 " crew members became POW's of the Japanese Army.
The " 4 " captured included 1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee, T/Sgt Hart, Sgt. Beecroft and S/Sgt Strong. All four were eventually "executed" by the Japanese Army.
1st Lt. Harrison K. Wittee and T/Sgt Hart were executed immediately upon capture. S/Sgt Beecroft was executed on July 21, 1945 and S/Sgt Strong was executed on the last day of the war - August 15, 1945.
Harrison was "Executed" by the Japanese Army on the same day that his B-29 crashed during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-696002
He was originally interred in the Yokohama Cemetery #1 and was later repatriated here on March 18, 1949.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 # 42-65348:
Angell, Robert B. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Beck, George A., Jr. ~ S/Sgt, Left Gunner, IA
Beecroft, Lawrence W. ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, NJ ~ Executed
Crowe, Franklin W. ~ 1st Lt, Commander, MD
Hart, Alvin R. ~ T/Sgt, CEC, WA ~ Executed
Isley, William H. ~ Corp, Right Gunner, NC
Jorstad, Oswald J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, ND
Manning, John V. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, LA
Strong, Russell W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, CT ~ Executed
Wittee, Harrison K. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL ~ Executed
Young, Millard M. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
Harrison K. Witte changed the spelling his last name to Wittee, because he got tired of people miss pronouncing it.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Illinois.
Family Members
Siblings
Other Records
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
